The English and Scottish Popular Ballads :: :: University of Virginia Library

The English and Scottish Popular Ballads

Edited by Francis James Child.

Part I.

II.

III.

IV.

VI.

VII.

VIII.

IX.

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301

Kempy Kay

KEMPY KAY—A

[_]

Pitcairn's MSS, II, 125, as taken down by Mr Pitcairn from the singing of his aunt, Mrs Gammell, who had learned it in the neighborhood of Kincaid, Stirlingshire, when a child, or about 1770. Scotish Ballads and Songs [James Maidment], Edinburgh, 1859, p. 35; Sharpe's Ballad Book, p. 81.

1

Kempy Kaye's a wooing gane,
Far, far ayont the sea,
And he has met with an auld, auld man,
His gudefaythir to be.

2

‘It's I'm coming to court your daughter dear,
And some part of your gear:’
‘And by my sooth,’ quoth Bengoleer,
‘She'll sare a man a wear.

3

‘My dochter she's a thrifty lass,
She span seven year to me,
And if it were weel counted up,
Full three heire it would be.

4

‘What's the matter wi you, my fair creature,
You look so pale and wan?
I'm sure you was once the fairest creature
That ever the sun shined on.

5

‘Gae scrape yoursel, and gae scart yoursel,
And mak your brucket face clean,
For the wooers are to be here to nighte,
And your body's to be seen.’

6

Sae they scrapit her, and they scartit her,
Like the face of an aussy pan;

302

Syne in cam Kempy Kay himself,
A clever and tall young man.

7

His teeth they were like tether-sticks,
His nose was three fit lang,
Between his shouthers was ells three,
And tween his eyne a span.

8

He led his dochter by the hand,
His dochter ben brought he:
‘O is she not the fairest lass
That's in great Christendye?’

9

Ilka hair intil her head
Was like a heather-cowe,
And ilka louse anunder it
Was like a bruckit ewe.

10

She had tauchy teeth and kaily lips,
And wide lugs, fou o hair;
Her pouches fou o peasemeal-daighe
A' hinging down her spare.

11

Ilka eye intil her head
Was like a rotten plumbe,
And down browed was the queyne,
And sairly did she gloom.

12

Ilka nail upon her hand
Was like an iron rake,
And ilka tooth intil her head
Was like a tether-stake.

[OMITTED]

13

She gied to him a gravat,
O the auld horse's sheet,
And he gied her a gay gold ring,
O the auld couple-root.